In recent years, the importance of interfaces between people and machines including multimedia-oriented products has started to grow. In order for people to operate machines more comfortably and efficiently, it is necessary to draw information from the machine to be operated without error, briefly, instantaneously, and in sufficient amounts, and various display apparatuses as interfaces to that end are being studied.
Currently, liquid crystal display apparatuses are used in many of the manufactured goods we use daily, such as compact TV sets, clocks, electronic calculators, not to mention laptop-type information processing devices. These liquid crystal display apparatuses are configured such that the peripheral portions of two sheets of members, on which electrodes are formed, are adhered together and sealed with a resin material in between, and liquid crystal is filled between the electrodes of these members. The liquid crystal display apparatus displays by changing the alignment of liquid crystal molecules by applying a voltage from the electrodes and controlling the transmission of light in the liquid crystal layer.
Further, in addition to such liquid crystal display apparatuses, self emissive type display apparatuses, such as plasma display apparatuses, inorganic electroluminescent display apparatuses, and organic electroluminescent display apparatuses, in which light emitting elements are provided in a display area, are being studied. Of the light emitting elements used in such display apparatuses, FIG. 22 illustrates a configuration example of an organic electroluminescence (hereinafter referred to as EL) element used in organic electroluminescent display apparatuses.
The light emitting element shown in this drawing (the organic EL element) is provided on a sheet of base material 1 made of, for example, glass or the like. A light emitting element 2 on the base material 1 is configured, for example, with a lower electrode 3 provided as an anode electrode, a hole transport layer 4, a light emitting layer 5 and an electron transport layer 6, which are sequentially layered on this lower electrode 3, and an upper electrode 7, which forms a cathode electrode, provided thereabove. In the light emitting element 2 that is configured in such a manner, the emission light, which is generated when electrons injected from the lower electrode 3 and the upper electrode 7 and holes recombine in the light emitting layer 5, is drawn from the side of the base material 1 or the side of the upper electrode 7.
By the way, in order to apply organic EL elements to a color display, stable emission of the three primary colors RGB is a vital condition. However, in organic EL elements, a non-light emitting spot referred to as a dark spot occurs as a result of extended periods of driving. The growth of this dark spot is one of the causes that shorten the life of organic EL elements.
It is known that a dark spot generally occurs in a size invisible to the naked eye just after driving, and with that as the nucleus grows through continuous driving. In addition, it is known that a dark spot occurs even under storage conditions where no driving is performed, and grows with time.
Various causes of dark spots are conceivable, but as external causes, crystallization of the organic layer due to moisture and oxygen entering inside the device, the detachment of a cathode metal electrode or the like are conceivable. As internal causes, shorting due to crystal growth of the cathode metal, crystallization and deterioration of the organic layer due to heat generation accompanying the emission of light or the like are considered as causes of dark spots.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 23, a display apparatus employing the light emitting element (organic EL element) 2 of such a configuration seals a display area 1a (light emitting element 2) inside a resin layer m formed with a resin material M by filling the resin material M between an element member L, which is configured by providing the light emitting element 2 on a display area 1a of the sheet of base material 1, and a sealing member U that is disposed on the side of the display area 1a of this element member L.
In manufacturing the display apparatus of such a configuration, first, the light emitting element 2 is formed in the display area 1a of the base material 1 to form the element member L. Subsequently, the resin material M that is not cured is applied and provided on the element member L so as to cover the entire display area 1a to form the resin layer m. Next, the sealing member U, which is held substantially horizontally, is mounted on the resin layer m and is pressed thereagainst. Thus, the sealing member U is adhered to the resin layer m, and after that, this resin layer m is cured.
However, when adhering the element member L and the sealing member U with the resin layer m in between, because the display apparatus with the configuration shown in FIG. 23 is in a state in which the sealing member U face-contacts the resin layer m, air bubbles p are prone to becoming trapped between the display area 1a and the sealing member U. Accordingly, although the light emitting element 2 is sealed in the resin layer m, the degradation of the light emitting element 2 due to the moisture and the oxygen in the atmosphere that is trapped within these air bubbles p cannot be prevented. And particularly, when the display apparatus is of a so-called top emitting type, in which light is drawn from the side of the sealing member U, such portions of the air bubbles p directly become non-light emitting portions, and the display apparatus becomes a defective good in which good display characteristics cannot be obtained.
In addition, in order to adhere the element member L and the sealing member U together, as described above, it is necessary that the operation be performed with care such that the air bubbles p do not become trapped. Thus, as a result in part, this adhesion process is a factor that decreases the productivity for the display apparatus.
Therefore, the present invention makes it its object to provide a display apparatus capable of sealing light emitting elements between two sheets of members without trapping air bubbles, and further, with ease.